Fort Worth Daily Gazette

WILLIAMS' RANCH.
A Metropolis of the Future on the
Santa Fe Extension.
Correspondence of the Gazette.
WILLIAMS' RANCH, TEX., June 20.—
As this place is now attracting considerable
attention, on account of the
building near here of the Gulf, Colorado
& Santa Fe railroad, as also on
account of the exceedingly good prospects
of a new county, your readers
may be interested in some information
relative to this section and its future
prospects.
The proposed new county of Mills
will be composed of portions of Brown,
Lampasas, Hamilton and Comanche
counties. The Nineteenth legislature
passed a bill through the lower house
by over a two-thirds majority, creating
this county, but on account of the
near approach of the close of the session,
together with some opposition
from the southeast portion of Hamilton
county, which opposition is now
changed to favor, the bill failed to pass
the senate. The Gulf, Colorado &
Santa Fe railroad is now locating
its principal depot within two and a
half miles of the geographical center
of this proposed new county. The
railroad company will own the land
upon which the new town will be
built and will doubtless build a round-
house and some repair shops here, as
such establishments become a necessity
about every one hundred miles,
and the only round-house on this end
of the road being at Temple, distance
about one hundred miles. The natural
conclusion is, that the road will
locate such an establishment here, as
such a step would build up the company's
property as well as supply a
necessity that could not otherwise be
dispensed with.
The new town will be about forty-
five miles from Lampasas; about forty
from Brownwood, about forty-five
from Hamilton, about thirty from
Comanche, and about twenty from San
Saba.
The new town will be the shipping
point for San Saba, and will divide the
shipping trade of Hamilton and Comanche
with their present shipping points.
The county around is adapted to both
stock-raising and farming. Hogs especially
do well, as also bees. Water is
plentiful and of good quality, there being
several bold running springs in
this section. The county being somewhat
mountainous, the drainage is
thorough and the health good.
We have churches, schools, saloons,
camp-meetings, dances, etc., here just
like they have anywhere else, but
upon an average the social, moral and
intellectual worth of our people is
abreast of that of other sections.
Caldwell and Hays counties own
large tracts of school land here which
can be bought at reasonable prices on
accommodating time.
In short, this is the best poor man's
county in Texas, as there is plenty of
timber and stone for ordinary building
purposes and fuel. There are
good hog ranges, good for bees, and
amply sufficient for all the spare horses
and milk cows a poor man can afford.